Workers at the nonprofit New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) are moving to unionize through Local 2110 of the United Auto Workers (UAW).
Never before in NYFA’s history have its workers led such an initiative. The nonprofit offers grants to artists and institutions, though it is even more well-known in the New York art world for the classifieds section of its website.
Staff members there said they decided to push for unionization due to a lack of transparency, unfair wages, and unsustainable working conditions.
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“Unionizing helps workers create a more equitable and safe workplace and we’re excited to take this important step in strengthening the foundation of a thriving, resilient arts ecosystem,” Audrey Thao Berger, a senior member of the NYFA awards and grants team, said in a statement.
A NYFA spokesperson did not respond to ARTnews’s request for comment.
Local 2110 represents workers across New York’s museums and cultural institutions, among them the Museum of Modern Art, the Brooklyn Museum, the Guggenheim, the Whitney Museum, the Hispanic Society, the New Museum, the Tenement Museum, the Shed, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and New York Live Arts.
“Ongoing support and stability are core functions that NYFA staff provide to artists in New York and across the country. Through unionizing, we seek the same support and stability for ourselves—so we can focus on what matters most: uplifting artists,” Daniel Tantalean, a film and media consultant in NYFA’s fiscal sponsorship program, said in a statement. “A secure and confident workforce consistently produces stronger results. Unionizing is a net positive for NYFA, its employees, and the artists we serve.”